Page 103 of Tell Me Why
“I’m sure, in some way, they were trying to protect you,” I offer, reaching for something—anything—that will ease the pain in her eyes.
“No. That’s bullshit.” Sniffling, she shakes her head, rises off the bed, and starts sifting through her duffel bag. She uses her arm to wipe the tears that are still falling. “She was mymother. The only mother I knew.”
Pulling out a pair of jeans, she tugs them on, followed by a hoodie—no panties or bra. I climb off the bed as she reaches for her phone and flip-flops.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I just…I need some fresh air,” she says, her voice small. “Maybe a walk on the beach to clear my head.”
“I’ll go with you,” I say, moving past her to grab my clothes.
She holds her hand up, stopping me. “I need to be alone for a while.”
Oh.
“Yeah,” I say quickly, trying to hide the hurt in my voice. “Of course.”
The selfish part of me wants to stop her from leaving, pull her back into bed. But I know I can’t. She’s hurting, and she needs the freedom to process this in her own way.
And I have to let her, even if it tears me apart…
CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR
Eve
So,I lied.
I never planned on going down to the beach.
Instead, I take the elevator down to the Exeter House lobby and ask the concierge to call me a car. The driver drops me off at the Black Tide Coffee & Co.—a legendary coffee house that’s been a local Malibu haunt for more than a century. And it also happens to belong to my brother.
It’s late morning, so the Black Tide is all but empty when I walk in, with just Geo manning the place. Business won’t start picking up until around lunchtime.
Geo is leaning against the counter, staring down at his phone, when I walk in.
“Welcome,” he says in a bored tone, not even looking up. “What can I get started for you?”
“Hey, Geo.”
Geo’s head jerks up when he hears my voice, and he stares at me for several long seconds, like he’s trying to make sense of what’s happening. “Holy shit, Eve!” he breathes, moving around the counter to pull me into a hug. “Thank God you’re okay.”
I laugh and pry myself out of Geo’s bear hug, then glance around the coffee shop, expecting Sin to materialize. He’s always wandering around here somewhere. “Is Sin here?” I ask.
His car wasn’t in the parking lot, but if he’s trying to lay low, then he might have it parked around back.
Geo’s face falls. “You don’t know? You were at Rush House, so we assumed you’d heard.”
My brows pinch. “Know what?”
“Sin didn’t come back after the raid at Rush Beach.”
“What?” My stomach bottoms out, and a spike of panic shoots through me. “Where is he? Was he arrested?”
“The Burning Crown has him,” Geo says carefully. “A couple of our guys saw him get hauled off. They think he’s being held in the basement of Rush House. Markus and the others are planning to get him out...”
His words hit me like a slap to the face. My mind can’t seem to process what Geo is saying. I blink rapidly and open my mouth, but no sound comes out.
“Eve?” Geo’s voice fades into the distance. “Are you okay?”
